Friday, October 18, 2013

The Eat to Live Cookbook Project: Purple Monster Smoothie

I've made four of the smoothies from the Eat to Live Cookbook so far this week. The Apple Oatberry Smoothie, the Chocolate Cherry Smoothie, the Orange Creamsicle Blended Salad and now this, the Purple Monster Smoothie. Actually, I've now made the Purple Monster Smoothie twice.

The first time, I used Romaine lettuce instead of the Boston lettuce that the recipe called for, because Boston lettuce is not something that I stock in my refrigerator. The smoothie had a very off putting taste and I decided I needed to make it again with the Boston lettuce.

So I did, this morning. The good news? I found out that my eight year old daughter LOVES Boston lettuce! I've been giving her bowlfuls and will now keep it as a staple green in our house.

The bad news? The smoothie didn't taste any differently with the Boston lettuce than it did with the Romaine. it's just one funky tasting smoothie!

So far, my favorite smoothie from the Eat to Live Cookbook has been the Orange Creamsicle Blended Salad. But I am really surprised by that. I thought I would be loving all of the smoothie recipes.

Purple Monster Smoothie
from The Eat to Live Cookbook by Dr. Joel Fuhrman, p. 56

Did I like it? not really

Was it easy to make with readily available ingredients? This was a super fast and easy smoothie to make with few ingredients that I generally stock in my freezer and pantry (except for Boston lettuce).

What specifically did I like about the recipe? I got a big shot of antioxidants from the berries, omega 3s from the chia seed and micronutrients from the lettuce first thing in the morning. The serving size was just right on this recipe and I was comfortable until lunch (but I did eat an especially large dinner the night before so maybe that had something to do with it) the first time I tried it. The second time I ate this for breakfast, I was pretty darned hungry by 10:30 am. I guess it was that big dinner the night before that kept me full on the first try!

What specifically didn't I like about the recipe? It was a little hard to get down, but it grew on me as I drank more and more of it.

Did my husband like it? I didn't like it enough to ask him to try it.

Did my teenage daughter like it? see above

Did my eight or five year old try it? see above

Would I make it again? No.

Is there anything I would do to improve on it if I made it again? If I wanted a version of this, I would use an equal amount of lettuce and spinach, because spinach has a less offensive taste in a smoothie. The big problem with spinach in a berry smoothie is that the color turns brown. A 100% lettuce smoothie with fruit makes for a far prettier smoothie.

Overall Grade (completely unscientific, I admit): C-

Have you made Dr. Fuhrman's Purple Monster Smoothie? What were your impressions? Leave a comment below.

Still don't have the book? What are you waiting for? These recipes are uber healthy.

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Please keep in mind that I am not a nutritionist or doctor. I recommend checking with your doctor before making any changes to your diet. Most of the information on this blog is based upon my own personal experience and research. All photographs and content are copyright Healthy Girl's Kitchen. Please contact me for permission to use photographs and content.